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| Spring 2009 CommentsZionism and Racism, Again: Durban IIIt took the Obama administration some time to get the full picture. But in the end it has apparently realized that U.S. participation in the United Nation’s Durban Review Conference on Racism, set for April 2009, otherwise known as Durban II, would be a fool’s errand. The first Durban confab held in South Africa, just before the events of September 11, 200l, should have been warning enough. A potentially serious discussion on the challenges of multi-ethnic societies was brazenly transformed into a show trial of Israel and the United States, prompting Secretary of State Colin Powell to lead the American delegation in a dramatic walkout. Full text articleDid any state but Israel behave toward its neighbours as Israel has, in any area where US military influence is substantial, it would long since have been bombed into submission. Since, as usual, the world is wrong, and the US alone is right, perhaps you could outline a process that will, for example, allow Palestinian arabs to retain their elected governments? No? Because the Palestinians are not a priority for you. They are to be less equal than other peoples. And you are what passes for a scholar in this day and age. For shame! Doesn't Israel's actions in Gaza have anything to do with this? Actually, if any state but Israel had been repeatedly attacked and bombed by its neighbors the way Israel has, they would have been able to react accordingly, rather than being cautioned by the West. Although I do believe it is dangerous to allow Arab states such as Iran to threaten the very existence of the Jewish State, you cannot deny that Israel has been engaged in a systematic violation of the rights of the Palestinian people that must be stopped. You mention the Human Rights Council has been dealing with this issue for the past three years, neglecting others. More than feeling angry because other problems aren't given the same importance, I'm shocked that after all that time no solution has been reached. The United States not attending Durban II simply shows their lack of commitment to the Palestinian people, and their refusal to measure Israel with the same bar as other States. It seems that Israel can get away with pretty much anything, and instead of forcing them to solve the conflict, the United States applauds their actions and stands by them, radically dismissing any actions or instruments that come even close to mentioning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the multiple human rights violations that are happening there. How much longer shall we continue to turn a blind eye to the abuses of the Israeli State? Yes, the Jewish people have suffered in the past, and they not only deserve, but need the protection of the Western world against hostile Arab regimes, but that doesn't excuse their inhumane behavior. Instead of turning their back on the problem, the United States, along with the rest of the absent States, should have assisted the conference, put a stop to Iran and their aggressive behavior, and changed the Durban document to fit all interests. An excellent article by Professor Wedgwood. One note however on her reference to AP I of the Geneva Conventions in 1977- The Global South's current disregard of law of war standards for behavior are actually institutionalized in AP I (My masters thesis focus)- They are not interpreting current IHL incorrectly- AP I was an intentional attack on progressive law of war standards that the global south felt advantaged advanced militaries. their solution was to use their voting blocs to address the asymmetry of military capabilities by giving "freedom fighters" increased rights to use terrorist tactics (ie civilian appearance) against western militaries attempting to operate within LOW guidlines. In the case of Israel, they were targeted in the conferences (1974-1977) directly. The records are available to the public, but hard to find, and the press had no interest then, and seemingly less now, to report the truth. None of the state or Non-state parties to AP I negotiations really cared about the Palestinians- but they are a convenient cause to avoid their own behavior and illegal actions. Why would the United States even remotely consider opposing its ally Israel when many states staunchly protected their friends? Why isn't the spotlight on China, Saudia Arabia, Sudan, Iran, Pakistan, and others? They are protected perhaps? If Sudan's genocide (s) is (are) not going to be a major issue (if countries are to be mentioned specifically) then you obviously know that something is terribly wrong with the process. A few points about the racist UN - Durban "anti-racism" conference Why Western countries tend to boycott it. 1) Since Muslim nations (OIC & Iran) push to criminalize criticism of Islamists' bigotry, doesn't it mean that anything being said in that conference is the opposite of tolerance and of truth? 2) How can the UN avoid the largest practitioner of racism, which is Arabism (against: Kurds, Berbers, Africans, Jews, Assyrians, Asians, etc.), but focuses on the so called "anti-Arab racism"? [ Arabism is racism! ] 3) When will Arab racists & Islamic bigots let go of the UN and stop hijacking it with it's lobbies (silencing Arab racist genocide in Darfur, yet daming innocent Israelis who merely try to survive)? 4) Why is Arab terror singling out Jews not racist? 5) Why is the essence of the entire "conflict'" in the M.E. not a form of bigotry by Arab Muslims who can't "accept" the non Arab non Muslim pluralistic democratic Israel? 6) Are Jews living, or even allowed to live in racist "Palestinian" controlled territories (Judenrein - ethnic cleaning)? 7) When will lefty radicals (Meretz/B'Tzelem) talk about preferential treatments to Arabs OVER Jews inside Israel, like in Hebron and in other cases? 8) Why are (Arab Palestinian or Hezbollah) the ones using its own kids as cannon fodders considered "innocent victims"? 9) Is Israel battling just terrorism or an ARAB MUSLIM CAMPAIGN OF GENOCIDE since the 1920's? 10) Is it not anti-Jewish racism to brand Israel's fight to defend lives as "racism"? 11) How more racist can the Durban-conference get, If the two oppressive regimes: Libya & Iran are the "stars"? Libya - whose Muamar Qaddafi, besides his own persecution of non-Arabs, especially millions of blacks in his country, who describe themselves as living like: slaves or animals, Qaddaf the one of the champions in today's racist Arabization, and Arabist racism push against Africa (whose "vision" has been compared to Hitler's "lebensraum"), in: Chad, Nigeria, etc., ultimately his crimes in the Sudan region helped in leading the current Al-Bashir's genocide on Millions of Africans (financed mainly by Libya and S. Arabia). Iran, the regime of Islamic bigotry's oppression on its own population with an added special persecution on all on-Muslims: Christians, Baha'i, Jews, etc. or on non-"pure-Persians" like: Ahwazi - Arabs, Kurds, Azeris, Baluchis, etc. now under the leadership of: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [EichmannJihad - the Islamic Hitler] who plays as if he "denies" the holocaust only in order to prepare for (his wishful) the second, "wiping off Israel". Thus, the shame of the UN, kidnapped by the epitome of intolerance today, the infamous twin fascism: Arab racism, as in Gadhafi, and Islamic bigotry as in Amadinejad, are going to be "preaching" (and determine) to the world on tolerance. Apart from the political role of the zionist movement [establised at the end of the 19th century, by the Austrian journalist Mr Herzl], the Western countries contributed to this neo-colonial undertaking [founding a State in the country of another people, Palestine, first colony of the Turkish Ottoman Empire and then a British Mandate territory, WITHOUT ANY CONSENT OF THAT PEOPLE], by adopting UN GA Resolution 181 [dd 1947], thus ''dividing'' Palestine, homeland of the Palestinians, in a Jewish and Arab part, WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE ORIGINAL PALESTINIAN POPULATION That's Ahmadiejad reference to the Western role regarding the foundation of the State of Israel Racist character of the State of Israel: In his speech he justly referred to the racist character of the State of Israel, granting all Jewish people over the world , who ever actually set a foot on Palestine, the ''right on return'', while denying the victims of the Israeli ethnic cleansings in the war of 1948 [the expulsion of more than 750.000 Palestians, by Israeli troops, out of their homeland], the right on return, which has been established in UN GA Resolution 194, in 1948 Furthermore, as well Palestininians [especially concerning school-education] and Bedouins are systematically discriminated in Israel Present racist government: He also referred regarding the present racist character of the Netanyahu governemt This is correct since the party of Mr Liebermann, one of the government coalition-partners, is an adherer of ethnic cleansings of the Palestinian population in Israel Occupation-regime I mention also his right criticism regarding the ear 42 years Israeli occupation of the Palestiian territories, despite UN Security Resolution 242 in 1967, which summoned Israel to withdraw from the conquered territories during the june war, among else the Palestinian areas Besides this occupation, which has caused oppression, human rights violations and humiliations, from the end of the sixties, hundreds of illegal settlements [illegal according to International Law] have been built, robbing the Palestinians of their lands Of course you are aware of the building of the illegal Israeli Wall, through Palestinian occupied territories, which is illegal according the ICJ ruling dd 9-7-2004 War-crimes The result of this occupation are and were also numerous war-crimes, by attacking civilian goals as refugee-camps, city neigbourhoods and marketplaces, without making any distinction between combatants [military and fighters] and non-combatants [civilians], or protecting the civilian population properly Also ambulances have been under attack I refer to the recent Gaza-attacks, which have costed the lives of 1300 Palestinians in three weeks time And not to mention the strangling Gaza-blockade, which is a crime against humanity, thus cutting of the Gaza civilian population of the primary life-necessities Western hypocrisy: Therefore it is Western hypocrisy, to walk away of this speech, since the Western countries implicitly are supporting the Israeli regime of occupation, by not urging Israel to respect International Law and implement UN Resolution 242 Any occupation, wherever in the world, is illegal For Israel there must not be an exception, in condemning this By letting Israel get away with occupation and war-crimes, the Western countries have blood on their hands Astrid Essed Amsterdam The Netherlands |  Submit Your Comment |
Posted by Irving Green | April 20, 2009 05:09:48 PM EDT